NEW DELHI: The rescue operation at Delhi's old Rajinder Nagar got delayed as the water which was being pumped out of the flooded basement and thrown on the street was entering back into the building as the road outside was already waterlogged.
Notably, Delhi was lashed with heavy rains on Saturday evening which caused severe waterlogging in several parts of the city, including Rajender Nagar area of central Delhi which bore witness to the death of three civil services aspirants due to drowning in the rainwater filled basement of their coaching institute.
According to the officials, the entire basement was completely submerged and visibility was extremely low.
There were tables and chairs which could be seen floating and the water was muddy which made the work of NDRF divers even more difficult to find anyone trapped in the water.
"When we tried to pump out the water and throw it on the street, it came gushing back inside. However, once the rainwater receded from the streets, we were able to retrieve all the three bodies," Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg told The New Indian Express.
Students who bore witness to the incident said that the rainwater submerged the basement within 10 minutes leaving no time for the students to escape from the building.
"There were around 30-35 students in the library when the water started entering," said one of the students.
The enraged students are now holding a protest against the authorities and demanding punitive action for those responsible.
"All these things opened in the basement here are being operated illegally and there are no safety measures. So all these things need to be stopped and action should be taken," a protesting student demanded.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and begun probing the incident.
Students claim that the incident took place around 6.45 when the water started entering the basement area at high speed but it took a couple of hours for the agencies to even start the rescue operation. The rescue agencies have denied this charge.
The bodies of three students, meanwhile, have been handed over to their families.